September!!!
How did this happen?
It seems like only yesterday we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Summer. Blink your eyes, turn around twice and it's September! Cooler temperatures, schools are back in session, the leaves are changing colors and cider mills are getting busy harvesting the crop of fresh apples.
Oh yeah, and the football season has arrived. I'm always ready for some football!
Time for my latest thoughts on writing, a sneak peek, a list of some upcoming events and of course, music. Gotta have rock 'n roll music.
Let's go!
Writing
Every once in a while, someone will approach my booth at a festival and comment that they bought a book or two from me last year and want to get another one. I consider that to be a huge compliment. Being recognized for my work is a great thing. It's also motivation to keep me writing.
However, there was an incident last month that was a bit of a twist on the norm. A couple approached my table and started looking over the books. The woman glanced at me and said "I bought one of your books last year in South Haven."
"That's great," I said. "Which one was it?"
"I don't remember. You have quite a few titles to choose from."
Curious, I asked if it was one of the Jamie Richmon mysteries. Or perhaps a Jefferson Chene mystery. Or it could have been "Rules of Desperation."
She said, "No. None of those sounds familiar. But it was set in the Upper Peninsula. I remember that much for sure."
Now I was confused. I pointed to my banner which has the Motown Mysteries name on it and explained that all of my books take place in Metro Detroit, except for "Stealing Haven" which is set in South Haven, the same city where she bought a book.
The woman insisted the story takes place in the U.P. That's when recognition clicked. I explained that there were several authors at that show last summer. One was an older guy who in fact does write stories that are set in the Upper Peninsula. When I mentioned his name, she agreed that it might have been his book.
"It wasn't that good if I can't remember the title or what it was about," she said.
It's not my style to disparage another author, so I didn't comment. Instead I described the Chene mysteries, which appealed to her.
She was drawn to the cover of "Why 319?" and intrigued by the summary. After we talked a bit more about books and authors, she bought a copy.
Hopefully the next time our paths cross, she'll speak highly of Chene's first adventure.
The Sneak Peek
"Rules of Desperation" captures the spotlight this month. This is a very popular book and one of the bestsellers at festivals. It took a silver award at The Bookfest National Competition.
The concept: How far would you go to achieve your goal of your dreams?
Here's the scene that inspires Nicholas Burr's action.
Nicky limped down the block, trying not to think about his wife. It was no use. She had every reason to be disappointed. He entered O'Brien's Place and took a stool at the far end of the counter. Reed O'Brien automatically slid a mug of beer before him. The saloon was half full. The crowd of blue-collar workers was winding down, leaving behind a trail of mugs, bottles, and shot glasses. Reed came out from behind the bar and flopped into a booth, stretching his legs onto the opposite bench. Nicky followed, bringing his beer. On the wall in the corner, a basketball game was playing on the big screen.
"Somebody steal your dog?" Reed asked.
"Worse. I got some bad news. Camille isn't taking it too well."
Reed lit a cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke in the general direction of the ceiling fan. He watched it rotate for a minute before commenting. "Who died?"
Nicky gave him a halfhearted shrug. "I did. Actually, my book did."
"One of the Skipper books?” Reed raised an eyebrow. “My kids will be pissed."
"This was something else. It was a story called Double Cross. It was an adult book."
“You wrote a dirty book with lots of sex and wild parties?”
Nicky couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Not erotica, you idiot! This was for a more mature audience than Skipper. It was a murder mystery.”
"The old lady was counting on this to be the one, huh?"
"She's been patient for a long time. Nobody ever said this would be easy."
Reed blew a smoke ring and shook his head. "You guys been together forever?"
"Almost ten years."
Reed stubbed out his cigarette and stared evenly across the table while Nicky drank his beer. "She been carrying you?"
"Had to drop out of school before I got my degree. No money and no chance for a student loan. I was going to enlist but didn't pass the physical." Nicky pointed at his bad leg and shrugged. “Only work I can find is minimum wage shit. "
Reed shook his head sympathetically. "Life's a bitch. So now you're a security guard. What does she do?"
"Account manager at McKay Products. Sales work.” Nicky took another sip. “It's a plastic manufacturing company. She started out as a secretary and worked her way up the ladder."
"Decent job?"
"Camille seems to like it. There's some travel and she spends a lot of time visiting clients at their facilities. The hours are long. But they pay well."
"And you haven't been holding up your end of the bargain?" Reed waved over a waitress for a cup of coffee.
"The job pays some. The Skipper series is nice, but the money isn’t much. It’s always been my dream to have my own books in print. That may never happen if I can't break through the publishers’ slush piles. I’m getting desperate."
“How about the self-publishing angle? My wife reads most of her books on her phone or tablet. Digital stuff. Couldn’t you do that?”
Nicky nodded. “Yeah, but one of the attractions of having a traditional publisher is that they help with all the other facets. They’ve got editors to help polish the script. Marketing people for promotions. Artists design the covers. If I go the indie route, I’m expected to hire people to do all that or cover it on my own. I don’t have the talent or the money to bankroll that approach.”
They were quiet for a moment. Nicky was deep in thought. Reed turned his attention to the game. A group in the corner by the pool table groaned in unison and began throwing popcorn at the big screen.
“Jesus, you gotta play by the rules,” Reed said in disgust.
Nicky’s head came up slowly. “What?”
“Play by the rules. Everything’s got rules.”
“The hell are you talking about?”
Reed pointed over his friend’s shoulder toward the screen. “Basketball game. These guys aren’t supposed to walk without dribbling when they have the ball. Nowadays, they take two, three, or seventeen steps before taking a shot. That’s a foul. Traveling. But nobody calls it. Why can’t these guys follow the rules?”
Nicky just stared at him. Reed didn’t notice.
“Everything has rules. Football has rules. Baseball has rules. Hockey has rules. And everybody knows ‘em and they’re supposed to follow the rules. Even fucking basketball has rules!”
“Say that again.”
Reed leaned back against the bench. He’d become animated during his rant, thumping a forefinger against the table to emphasize his point. “What?”
“About the rules. Say it again.”
“Football has rules. Baseball has rules. Hockey has rules. Everybody knows them and they play by the rules. Even fucking basketball has rules! Everything has rules!”
His friend grinned broadly and reached for the stack of bar napkins beside the condiments. “That’s what I thought you said.”
Reed watched as Nicky began scribbling on the cocktail napkins.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Nicky had already filled three napkins with notes. “I’m writing the rules. Once I get them down, then I’ll follow them.”
“Rules to what?”
“The Rules of Desperation.”
“You’re gonna stop writing books and make up games?”
Nicky shook his head. “No, I’m still going to write. But this one is going to follow the rules.”
“A book about rules?” Reed lit another cigarette.
Nicky waved away the smoke. “I thought it was against the law to smoke in a public place in Michigan.”
“It is. But there are some exceptions. Like a private club. That’s what this establishment is, allowing my patrons to enjoy their tobacco and a cold beer.”
“You need a better ventilation system.”
Reed ignored him. “So this is a book about rules?”
"No, I'm going to write a book people will fight over. And Camille's going to help me. She just doesn’t know it yet."
Reed noticed the sudden intensity in his friend’s eyes. He raised his coffee mug in a salute. "Good luck."
Work In Progress
Work on the fourth Jefferson Chene novel continues. I passed 50,000 words, which puts me more than halfway to the target. Which is probably making Chene and the crew happy. And for those of you who are fans of a particular determined redhead, you can rest assured that Jamie makes a cameo appearance in this book as well. So far she appears in two lengthy scenes.
This could have been Jamie's reaction if I even considered not including her in the book!
Events
While I still have a couple of outdoor events in September, I'll be slowing down a bit and shifting to indoor shows after this month.
Here's a few on the horizon.
So far, only one show in October.
Holidays in Haslett. Saturday, October 17
Haslett High School 9:00 to 3:00
5450 Marsh Rd.
Haslett, MI
Music
Ray Charles keeps popping up on my stereo. No matter where I might be, if there is music playing (which is often the case), it won't be long before one of his classic hits starts playing.
Charles is renowned as a singer, songwriter and pianist. To many, he is the founder of soul music, combining blues, jazz, r&b and gospel. He was active for almost 60 years. Ray Charles won multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also recognized by the Kennedy Center and numerous other awards.
Here are my top five favorite songs from Ray Charles.
Hit the Road Jack: https://youtu.be/CyVuYAHiZb8?si=N34LXsYu1CvOYgnQ
What I'd Say: https://youtu.be/pVwIMNkTPSc?si=gWshyKBJH0jPwLL9
Mess Around: https://youtu.be/tk_xapZSO6g?si=jeWQgkIPYt5gj_OW
Unchain My Heart: https://youtu.be/wrvhU1710kQ?si=_Zoeau12SuNVt9__
Halleluiah I Love Her So: https://youtu.be/v-JsqKlVVGk?si=p68j2XW6MMcTsUoI
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